Three dimensional (3D) printers are in rapidly increasing use. One class of 3D printers includes stereolithography printers having a general principle of operation including the selective curing and hardening of radiation curable (photocurable) liquid resins. A typical stereolithography system includes a resin vessel holding the photocurable resin, a movement mechanism coupled to a support surface, and a controllable light engine. The stereolithography system forms a three dimensional (3D) article of manufacture by selectively curing layers of the photocurable resin. Each selectively cured layer is formed at a “build plane” within the resin.
One challenge with stereolithography systems is the cost and variability of human labor. Historically this has been tolerable when these systems have been used for prototyping. As they are used for manufacturing, there is a need to provide designs that enable automation and eliminate variability.